International Students

We understand how daunting it can be to leave your family and come to another country to study, but our experienced boarding and academic staff work together to ensure that our international students quickly settle into life in Western Australia.

Before joining our boarding community, our international students enjoy a fun and informative orientation program, which introduces them to life at St Mary’s and provides them an opportunity to meet fellow students.

Unless they stay with a parent in Perth, international students are required to live on campus in our boarding house, Anne Symington House. This ensures that they receive appropriate accommodation, care and support while they are away from their family homes.

We ask that all our international students also have a family-appointed local carer. The role of your daughter’s local carer is to take responsibility for her at the end of the academic term or during approved weekend leave. When your daughter is signed into Anne Symington House by her local carer, St Mary’s is responsible for her care and wellbeing.

It is very important to us that all our girls have a home away from home where they feel included, appreciated and part of a connected community. In addition to daily interactions with our boarding and academic staff, our international students regularly meet with the School’s International Student Co-ordinator and our Boarding Academic Support Teacher, who mentor them and offer extra support.

English

If English is not your daughter’s first language, we will ask her to take a test with the Australian Education Assessment Services. She may also be required to complete an intensive English Language course before beginning at St Mary’s.

St Mary’s offers an English as an Additional Language course to Year 11 and 12 students whose first language is not English.